Workshops

The workshops were absolutely brilliant - honestly, brilliant.
Head of Drama UCS School

We deliver a range of workshops at Post 16, GCSE and BTEC, Key Stage 3 and for undergraduate students. We create bespoke workshops to suit the specification needs of you and your students, all practitioner workshops can be related to text or devising work. The focus of each workshop is on students exploring, experiencing and experimenting.

Practitioner Workshops

The Stanislavski Masterclass

An in depth, practical exploration of the key areas of the system which are put into practice with a text of your choice. The first part of our 4 hour workshop works through the system with exercises on:Objectives
Action
Imagination
Free body
Communication
Tempo Rhythm
Super Objective and Germ
Rehearsing text

Students then work through a Life in Art exercise, exploring the different stages of the Stanislavski rehearsal process culminating in an Active Analysis exercise with a text or devising stimuli of your choice. The workshop will give students the tools needed to successfully create a character, explore and structure their devised work or work on text. The focus of the workshop allows students to experience the exercises Stanislavski used with actors, to experiment and explore text to create truthful and believable theatre. The exercises explored in the workshop are based on those used by Stanislavski in his later years and have been developed to suit today’s drama and theatre students. The workshop challenges students to work at a high level and to maintain a professional focus.

For an idea of what a Stanislavski masterclass looks like view the trailer for our film Stanislavski in Practice taught by practitioner Nick O’Brien.

The Brecht Experience

A step by step, exercise driven workshop using the key elements of Brechtian technique to build towards creating epic theatre. For the first part of the workshop students explore exercises on:Narration
Class
V Effect
Gestus
Epization
Freeze and Gestus
Voicing the part
Characterisation

For the second part of the workshop students use these exercises to create a unique piece of epic theatre either using text or stimulus material. This workshop sees students build an understanding of Brechtian theatre as they explore each exercise so, by the end of the workshop, they are working as Brechtian actors experimenting to create epic theatre.

From a teacher’s perspective, you were able to make Brecht coherent for all pupils, to develop their knowledge and understanding through supportive theoretical and practical tasks. This encouraged a fantastic learning environment within the classroom, the approach to student led learning helped the pupils become critically aware of their own skills and areas for development and from the workshop every pupil was able to progress and enhance their own performance knowledge of how to devise using Brecht.

The workshop can be linked to Metamorphosis, Greek or any of Berkoff’s plays. Our practitioner has played Greta in Metamorphosis and The Wife in Greek and brings her experience and knowledge of the Berkoff rehearsal process into your drama studio.

The Artaud Experience

Four hours of intense practical exercises giving the student a solid grounding in a series of exercises designed by our team to create Artaudian theatre.

The Artaud workshop looks at a range of exercises that bring Artaud’s theories to life, giving the student a practical way into Artaud that can then be related to their devising or text work.

The exercises explored include ensemble, repetition and nature exercises that harness the power of body, voice, mind and spirit combined with the power of the sights and sounds of the world around us to create theatre of cruelty.

Grotowski in Practice

The Grotowski workshop covers key exercises to examine poor theatre and the total act. It will include the process of elimination – via negativa, corporal exercises, the organic mask, construction of signs, plastiques, interpretation of text, theatre as an encounter and scoring physical actions within the rehearsal process.

These exercises are then used as a springboard for exploration of text or devised work to create uniquely Grotowskian theatre.

Text and Devising Workshops

Rehearsing and Performing a Monologue or Duologue

A practical step by step approach to rehearsing, analysing and performing a monologue or duologue using a range of acting techniques to create complex and truthful characters. The workshop is best split over two dates for the first date our practitioner comes in and works through a series of exercises that give students all the skills they need to work on their character. Our practitioner then comes back at a later date to fine tune the student’s work creating a truthful performance ready for their exam.

Ideal for students taking LAMDA | Trinity exams or A level text components.

Performance Masterclass

Our practitioner works with your students 3 weeks before their devising or text performance to offer new ideas, develop characterisation, shape the drama and create unique staging. This workshop is designed to challenge students and to work on key elements ahead of the performance. This masterclass is an opportunity for staff and students to step back from their work and have new ideas and input to take their performance to the next level.

Physical Theatre

Our Physical Theatre workshops are a chance for students to explore the world of physical theatre through a series of Lecoq, Berkoff and Artaud based exercises. Our workshops are designed to use Masks, Storytelling techniques, Mime or Greek Theatre and act as a way into the devising process and give students ideas when staging text.

Film and TV Masterclass

A practical hands on masterclass takes students in front of and behind the camera exploring key filming techniques. The masterclass can involve acting for camera techniques or focus on setting up a shot and moving from storyboard to the set. Ideal for students exploring the dynamics of film making and acting.

Devising Drama and Original Theatre

A series of tools to help student’s devise and create original theatre at AS | A Level | BTEC and GCSE, using stimuli of your choice to devise a piece of unique staging. Our devising workshop is designed to ignite student’s imaginations and facilitate experimentation to create theatre. We offer two different approaches one character based exploring techniques to develop characters to perform within a stylised setting and physical exercises to create unique theatre based on ensemble techniques.

The Experience

A day of bespoke acting, movement and specification workshops held at our North London Performing Arts Venue. Bring your students to London for a workshop or series of workshops followed by a West End show.

Musical Theatre

Our Musical Theatre workshop takes students on an exploration of the key skills needed to rehearse and perform in a musical. The workshop explores exercises that help students move from acting into song and movement and how to create truthful characters within a musical setting. The workshop explores the key three disciplines working towards bringing the musical to life. For the workshop you decide the musical or choose from the list below and we create a bespoke workshop based on that musical.Les Miserables
Wicked
Matilda
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
The Sound of Music
Grease
The Lion King
Fame
Annie
We Will Rock You
Mamma Mia

You can book our practitioner to support your whole school musical giving staff and students a taste of West End rehearsal techniques, exercises and vocal | movement preparation.

The Stanislavski Experience

If you would like to book a workshop, place on our INSET day, order some resources or just have a chat then please do not hesitate to contact us at: